An defense official has stated that the Ministry of Defence is currently examining the possible threats posed by Chinese vehicles, while personnel have been instructed to avoid discussing classified matters in any vehicles.
Security Advice for Defence Personnel
During a recent interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to talk about secret material while travelling in China-made vehicles.
He explained that the MoD is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but emphasised that safety is a issue in all modern cars.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their car, to avoid having conversations at a secret classification in any vehicle, because of the increasing risks of surveillance that are present in all vehicle, to only have those secret conversations in protected areas. This is a wise and sensible thing for everyone worried about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using every cars from China, the minister replied: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Defence Background
The announcement follows claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could allow China to switch off public transport and bring chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel has been shining lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
This wider security situation underscores the importance of strong measures and vigilance in every areas of official activities, from vehicle usage to discussions habits.
